Crate.



CRATE.

APPLIVGATION FILED 00120, 1910.

merma Mar. 18, 1913.

H. BROWN.

CRATE.

APPLIGATION ULEB 001". 20, 1010A l 11,656,146. Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS--SHEE'I' 2 nuamtor,

ZU n 2 Qtmnup H. BROWN. I

RATB.

APEJLIOATIUN NLRB om'. en, 1910 1,056,146, i -ateuted Mar. 18, 1913.

SSHEIITSV SHEET 3 vertical section, relier. eje a, line oireeonefzen ofthe United States, residing at iie `cityof Batle Creek, county orCalhoun State of 'Michigam have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Crates, oi"- Awhich the following is e specification.This. invention relates to improvemens in crates.

The main objects of liis inven'eion are, first, .foprovide e crate whichmay mafie of considerable size and of light ze;eieriei,l

and, at the same time, oe very sirong and durable and capable ofwithstanding rack ing strains'and oiher sii-rains in which i' woud besubjected when used as a. shipping crate. Second,to provide an improvedcraie which is adapted to be shipped from ilie fac toryl in the,knock-down and. easily and quickly set up by the user. Third. to provide an 'improved crate adapted for use as a'. poultry crate mijnimprevecl doors, which can be easily manipulated end whieii een beopened when anoher crete or object is resfring upon and pareiallycovering the nop of the crate, or when objecis are against 'die endsofthe crabe. Fourth, to provide in poultrj,y crate an improved ee. 'troughsupport therefor.

' Further objects, anni objecs releing te .structural details, Wiliclenitel; @appear fromthe oetailec descripion to oilew.

I accomplish -tbeobjeets of my invention by the devices an meansescribeci in the following speciealion. The siruciureescribedc'onstitutes one effective emboimen of m invention. A

Ot er embodimens would be e vised by those skilled in the The inventionis clearly deiie end. pointed out in the claims. n

A structure constiiung en effective e referredl embodiment of lleeaiures o' 3 invention is clearly iiueirete in lle accom4 panyingdrawing, iormirig per: chie specification, in Whichiu Figure l isa'perspeeiive View 015:' in? provedcrate set up minis the floors eiose.F ig. 2de :i detail pian View, snowing Nie er: rangement of the door".Eig. 3 is rieten ngto line of Fig. 2, snor/ing sirne tural details. Fig.is e efseil pien View of the top, bottom and side Welle -o lie te intheir hoek-.down exeederi goeigiove. 5 is a detail perspective, showingfue opposite side 03": the crate from thai. shown in i i the arrangementof the side door and eleieils of the feed trough sueport. Fig. 6 is aideail perspective, showing grleiaile of the feed Lrough smupcrt.

P a cieieil Jian, showing tlieuletch o, ore of the top core n Lhedrasvings, the sectional views are siren flocking in direction of the.little arrows et the eri/is of the Seeon lines, and. similar numeralsoie reference refer to simi- 'lar pars lerougliout the several views.

ier'erring to lille drawing, provide liot tem, rop and side Walls, diebottom Wall being 'preierabiy soid,-ti1:i is, it is meile up oi boardsplaced edge Lo edge, wbiie the toi) and sirle Wells are mode up ofslaiis or specec pieces.v The bottom boards or pieces 'l are providedWih cross o' ces at their ends, :md where lie crate isof considerable esshown ille drawings, 'with interi'n te cross pier; The side Wall piecesprovided .vili end cross ieces .5 anfl inerniediaie Cross pieces 6. Tieiop Walls preferabiy formed or sections, ne top eis Z being' orovidedwih end cross nieces rnieoiziie cross pieces 9. emi and inermediai-ecross pieces are ranged in elineieen, :is clearly shown in The side Wallpieces secure@ io tb r cross pieces by means preferably ocinpr ingbindingwires 1G, which are stepled, il, te be side and cross. pieces.ll'ie lsoiorn, side wail. ansi iop Weil seoiions ere 'ned ogg'e.ier'inthe Het, es simu/'n in ,4, if" ese binding wires. 'il' Wibo verhaal ereSecured,

bie srucgure illus ifibeliig provide@ i@ f'fii l' .Lev

i' cle Pip i, the braces f L or oirrnwerdyfwergmg position.

braces are erranged er. elle inner sides of the elats of the end weileenf?, are rigiiy ,a y nailed tneret the nalls not hein illustrated.

` @n the outer sides of the slats ot the end Walls are vertical cleatsi7,-see Fig. l. TWhen the crate 'is set np, the top cleats 18 aresecuredto the cross.. ypieces ot the top sections, preferablyaeingearrangedunder the saine as in the structure illustrated. The.

tWeen the edges of the top sections. The,

top doors are arranged to slide'on these top cleats between the ends ofthe top section cross pieces. This supports the doors in a iane belowthetop, so that the doors can he opened when another crate is resting`on and partially coverinv the top.

The dho s preferalry are formed ot' longitudinal slats 19 and cross.cleats or pieces 2O and 21. The inner ends oi the longitudinal slatsproject over the partition and the inner cleat 21 of each door isarranged on the opposite side of the-partition, the cleat of one doorbeing arranged on the under side o f'its slats, While the cleatof theuppr door is arranged on the upper side oi' its slats,see Fig. 3-so thatthe doors tele-l,

scope With each other. The intermediate cleats 9 of the-top limit theopening ot the doors. The ends of the door cleats are extended under theadjacent slats7 so that the doors are slidably ret-ained in positionthi-ereby.`

preferably provide a latch 22 :tor each door, the latch shown being inthe 'lorin ol" a piece or" ivire arranged through the end cleat E20provided with a laterally-turned engaging portion 23, adaptedto engageover the end piece of one of the Itop sections. 'The latch is also"provided with a stop 24- on its inner end, which engages with the doorslat, preventing the engaging end 23 dropping doivn when the door isopened into position to engage the hand ot the person reaching into thecrate. The odset Q4 also serves to retain the lautch.

For greater security, when poultry being shipped in the crate,preferably pro. vide7 in addition to these latches, a locking pin 2b,which is arranged through registerA ing holes provided therefor in thelongitlrdinal slats of the doors and the central top cleat. alsopreferably provide my improvedl crate with a feed trough 2G whichsupported between the horizontal slats of the partition` so thatitserves for both coinpartments. The trough is provided with aprojection 27 at each end,-see Fig. t5. To provide sockets for theseprojections, l secure pieces 9.8 and 29fto the partitions which coactwith the, vertical end pieces and the recentie slats, as will heobvious. The piece 29 is pivoted at 30, so that it may be swung down torelease the trough. .Tl e crate is preferably provided with, dooropenings at each side of its partition. theseopenings is, in thestructure illustrated, a Slat 31 which is slidably arranged under thebinding wires to slide between By thus .arranging the parts, I secure a85 crate which is very strong and rigid land capable ot withstandingsevere racking strains, as Well sustaining heavy loads as where othercrates or articles lare placed upon it. userfin the knock-down andreadily and conveniently' set up. The doors are arranged so that theycan be opened, as stated, when objects are resting on the-top of orabutting the ends ot the crate, or the side '95 doors may be utilizedconveniently.

l have. illustrated and described my improvements in detail in the 'formin which I have embodied them in practice. I am aware, however, that`they can be consid- 10o erably varied in structural details Withoutdeparting from my invention, and I have not attempted to illustrate suchvariations or modifications, as they will, no doubt, be A to whichobvious to those skilled in the art this invention relates. 4

Having thus described my invention, what' I claim as' new and desire toseoureby i Letters Patent is: l

1. In a crate, the combination' of the bot- 110 toni, side and top`vvallv pieces; cross pieces secured thereto to provide bottom, top andside Walls, the securing means comprising' binding Wires whereby saidywalls are secured together in the tint and the Wires Constitute hingeconnections for the Walls, the top being `termed in sections, onesection being conne :ted to each side wall, the inner of the topsectionsv being spaced` when A the crate iserected, to provide a 'dooropen- 12'()` ing g' end Walls. for said-crate comprising end wallpieces, cleats for the ends o-said lend Wall pieces, arranged on theinner side there Y of and extending r across the space between-f theinner edges ofthe top Wall. sections, in.

end Wall pieces being adapted to rest `aga 'Jrthe inner sides of the`side Wall crosspieces, diagonally-disposed braces arranged on the innersides o the end Wall pieces, andrei.

ticallydisposed cleats arranged on the outer Vian The door for 70 Thecrates may be shipped to the 96 35. sai

:i me, ies

sidesk of ehe end weil pieces; top eieeis er' ranged under the hopcross. pieces, ih-e end i top cleats being arranged on seid end wel]cleats; and e door shdabiy arranged on sind top Cieats between the en'dsof said iop section cross pieces.

`2. iin a crate, the combination of i'he'hot ioni, side and tfp weiipieces i cross pieces secured thereto to provide Waiis, he securingmeans comprising binding;lr wires Whereby saidbottoni, side endftopwaiis are se-` cured together in the dei and the Wires oonf-stitutehinge connections for the Wai1s,- ihe :top Wall being formed insections, one sec- "'rion being connected to each .side Weil, the

inner edges of the top sections being spaced fwhen he Crete is erectedio provide e 'door opening; end Walls; iop cieats extending across thespace between the inner edges of thetop sections io provide e rigid iop;end

e door siidabiy arranged onsaid iop eieais between the ends of sind topseciion cross l pieces.

In e crate, the combination of the hotfoin, eide and. top wail pieces;cross nieces io provide bottom, side and iep weiis, cured ihereto, thesecuring ineens comprising binding wires whereby the weils nre curedogeihez in he iini'- and ihe Wires 39 consitute hinge connections forthe Wzdis,

the iop being :formed in sertions', one section. being connected io eachside weil, the inner edges ofthe top sections' being spaced to rovide ndoor opening; end wid-is for d) craie 'comprising end wnli pieees cleatsfor the ends oi'said end wad pieees.; ni'- ranged on the inner sidethereof, ihe end -Waii pieces being adapted io resi against the innersides of Idie side i 'all cross pieces, ver- 4-0 ticaily--disposedcleats arranged on the outer sides of the endwail pieces to engage thehop;- and top cleats secured to the top' cross pieces end extendingicross the sparebetween tneedges of' the iop seeiions, the vertended :iteach 'side under the top to pro` vide retaining slides for the top.

5. A crei-e hai/ing e partition therein; a top for seid crate havinge-door opening therein et each side of said partition; doors for seidopenings comprising s1atsthe iii- =ner ends of ihe slats being extendedbeyond vhe seid partition; and cleats for. the seid ldoor slats, thecient for he inner end of each door being arranged 4on the opposite sideo ihe pei'ition and beingextended ai.

slides die iop.v

ii. in n crnte'the eon'ibinntlon of the boteaeh end under the top toproiide retaining fiom? iop end side weil pieces, the top beingorn'ledoseetions, ihe Ainner edges of the iop sections 'being speced toprovide n 'door opening; cleais extendedv across seid door opening; andn door, said cleats being disposed io siidzibly support the door in epizinbelow the top of ihe crate, said door eompiising longitudinal siateand cross pieces extended under ,the adje'cent iop to provide retainingslides for the top slats.'

in witness whereo'i have hereunto set my hand end seni in. the presenceof two w itneeses,

HUGH BROWN. [Le] Witnesses.

BURRHT HAMiUi'oN 'Renn L. HAMILTON.

